Moroccan-Inspired Quinoa Beet Salad
| Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 30 min |
| Servings: 4 | Skill Level: easy |
This kicky quinoa salad combines sweet roasted beets with a spiced orange dressing and plenty of briny kalamata olives.
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 1 ½ pounds red or yellow beets (about 6 medium)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Salad
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1 jar Pearls Specialties Pitted Kalamata Greek Olives, drained
Dressing
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons strained, freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
Cooking Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425ºF.
- Scrub the beets, trim them, and peel. Cut the beets into bite-sized chunks. Toss the beets with the olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- Arrange the beets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven until fork-tender, 25-30 minutes, flipping the beet pieces halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Cook the quinoa by placing the uncooked quinoa in a large saucepan. Fill the pot most of the way with water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the pot to a boil, and boil the quinoa until it’s tender, 5-10 minutes. Drain through a fine mesh strainer, transfer to a large, heatproof bowl, and let cool to room temperature, 30-60 minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Stir the shallots into the dressing and let sit for at least 10 minutes and up to several hours.
- To the bowl of cooked and cooled quinoa, add the roasted and cooled beets along with the olives and herbs, pour the dressing and shallots over, and toss to combine. Fold in the toasted almonds, adding more salt or lemon if you feel the salad needs it.
- Serve at room temperature, or chill for up to 2 days and serve cold.
